WITH funding from Limerick City and County Council at €20,000 announced for Richard Harris International Film Festival (RHIFF), Arts page explores novel content for the event running October 25 to 28. Reflecting its annual expansion, this year’s big launch will be in New York, followed by Dublin and Limerick receptions to sound the fanfare.
Hundreds of films of all genres will be screened in Belltable and LIT Millennium Theatre, bringing with them actors, directors, scriptwriters, film makers and many a star.
Conor Ryan and produced By Mixed Bag Media Ltd. Conor Ryan with former mayor Sean Lynch and Zeb Moore, RHIFF at The Savoy ceremony
There is much to offer your every-week cinema goer who is outside the industry activity of competition, workshops, in-conversations and production promotion.
For festival punters who enjoys the razzmatazz and schmoozing with the likes of Jared Harris, Stephen Rea, Fionnula Flanagan and so on, know that this year’s love welcomes Moe Dunford, principal in ‘Vikings’ and Gary Stretch, the actor who burst on the big time with Colin Farrell and Val Kilmer in ‘Alexander’.
RHIFF welcomes back regular Sean Cronin of ‘Rogue Nation’ etc and returning for the second year, John Connors of ‘Love/ Hate’. Also Warner Bros Studios’ Cass Warner and her documentary and Brian Reddin, director of the Constance Smith documentary, the Limerick actress who was a Hollywood hit before her raddled downfall.
In another coup for the organisers, we get the premiere of Reddin’s English language extended screen edition, not seen yet this side of the pond.
This will be the sixth annual RHIFF set up by directors and film makers Sylvia Moore, Zeb Moore and Rob Gill, sharing a board with three Harris family members (actor Jamie Harris and Ella Harris are committed to October). Having bundled in with Limerick Film Festival, the mission as ever is to platform new Limerick, Irish and international works and to stimulate an industry hub here.
What’s new, Zebedee?
“We are 30 per cent up on film submissions thus far in preparations,” reports the driven actor/ producer. “By the time the entry deadline closes around August 18, we will be up 20 per cent over all on 2017’s 200 submissions that came from 15 different countries.
“The joining with Limerick Film Festival has been really positive and now LFF’s founder Simon Maguire oversees the entire technical side to the Awards night, along with Gerard Meagher, that will take place on Sunday October 28 in Millennium Theatre.
“We’ll put on interval act that will be very exciting. We use that space to promote local and national talent and we live-stream that event. Last year it fed to 1,200 IP addresses with an estimate of 2,500 views all over the world.”
This overseas audience is comprised of directors, actors and so on working on various sets and of course, their families and supporters and fanbase.
More revelations anon as the New York launch of this Limerick grown international festival looms closer; see richardharrisfilmfestival.com
